Machine-level historians now available from Rockwell Automation

FactoryTalk Historian Machine Edition (ME), a machine-level historian that collects data directly from the backplane of the controller, is now available from Rockwell Automation . This solid-state, embedded historian module is hardened for on-machine data collection, and features a limited software footprint, no moving parts, and reduced risk of data loss due to network or other system interruption. As a result, FactoryTalk Historian ME helps manufacturers mitigate the risk of machine downtime and reach continuous process improvement goals.

Rockwell Automation designed the application as part of a distributed, tiered architecture that allows employees in different locations and at different operating levels to view and analyse role-appropriate historical data. Operators, for example, can view data from the specific machine they are using, while plant-level supervisors can view individual machines or complete lines to build real-time comparisons against standards and assess critical batch or process performance. Meanwhile, senior management can use the same technology to develop executive dashboards that compare key performance indicators (KPIs) of production activity across multiple locations.

Features of the machine- level historian modules include:

The stand-alone design of the historian makes the FactoryTalk Historian ME module ideal for remote data capture in challenging environments, such as drilling rigs, wells and other previously inaccessible locations

The software helps to significantly reduce implementation time because it is directly installed in the Allen-Bradley ControlLogix backplane, then auto-detects the controllers and configures all relevant tags to be historicised

The application of the machine- level historian modules also leverages backplane communication to increase the speed of data collection and provide more granular data than is possible on a traditional, network-connected plant historian

“In today’s global economy, visibility to manufacturing data is critical at all levels of operations,” said Dean Tresidder, software manager, Rockwell Automation South Pacific. “The FactoryTalk Historian ME software improves manufacturing intelligence by providing a new level of visibility into production operations. By integrating data from a machine-level historian with data from a plant-level historian, operations can now locate and correct sources of inefficiencies more quickly to improve manufacturing consistency, energy use and first-pass quality.”

FactoryTalk Historian ME will be demonstrated at Rockwell Automation’s upcoming Automation University workshop tour, which is heading to regional and capital centres across Victoria and Queensland in May, and finish with sessions in South Australia, Western Australia and New Zealand in July/August.

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